How To Paint A Metal Storm Door And Wood Front Door
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After you see my painted metal storm door, you will want to paint your storm door to match your front door too. I’ve had people ask me if you can paint a storm door, and the answer is yes you can!
I will share the best way to paint the metal trim around your glass door and how to paint your front door too!
The first time I painted a door was about 15 years ago. I painted our front door red . Let me tell you….when you use red paint, it takes several coats of paint to get good coverage.
Or maybe I didn’t know what I was doing. I’ve learned a few things about painting since then and still have much to learn.
This home improvement project turned out so well, I painted our metal framed back door to match the wood door!
We are slowly upping the curb appeal of our home and the repainting the front door is one of our priorities. We already updated the house shutters and the light fixtures on each side of the door this year.
The red paint on the door is oil-based, so the door needed priming. I used Glidden Gripper Primer in Grey. I find gray works well under any paint color and is easier to cover than a white primer.
They no longer make the grey primer, so I have them tint the white primer for me. Update May 2021 – They no longer manufacture the Glidden Gripper, or it may not be known by the same name.
I believe the same product is now known as PPG Gripper, and it can be found at Home Depot.
I chose Behr Premium Plus Ultra paint and primer to paint the door. When doing a job like this, I like to be extra sure and prime, prime, and prime. Behr Ultra goes on smoothly and doesn’t chip off.
Before painting, I taped off the door knob with painter’s tape. I removed the kick plate and the door knocker. They needed to be updated, and that’s a post for a later day.
The door is primed and ready for paint. I applied one coat of primer using a 2-inch synthetic-bristled paintbrush. The primer provides a solid base for the top coat to adhere to.
I brushed one coat of paint on the door and let it dry overnight. Latex paint dries fast but I was ready for a break.
The next day I applied another coat of paint and that did the job. I also used a two-inch synthetic bristle paint brush to apply the blue paint.
Painting a panel door is a little different from painting a flat door. On a flat door, you can use a roller or a paintbrush to apply the paint. When using a brush, always apply the paint in the same vertical or horizontal direction.
On a panel door like mine, I always paint the inside mold details on the panels and then move to the inside of the panel with the paint. I find using a smaller 1-inch paintbrush for these details is easier. My front door has 6 panels. Your door may have more or less.
Next, paint the mullions or vertical boards and then the rails (top and bottom boards).
Now, about that shiny brass hardware I painted. I’ll give you a preview!
This is how the door knocker looked before painting. And yes, I know it’s upside down, thanks to one of my on-the-ball readers. I’m a little nutty sometimes.
And it’s still upside down, but isn’t the color much better? See the spray paint makeover project here.
This is how the wood door looked after the paint job and the hardware spray paint makeover. I disliked the appearance of the white metal surrounding the glass storm door.
It really stood out against the blue door, so it got me thinking. I asked my husband if he thought the metal would paint up ok. He said go for it.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure this paint project would turn out well, but I wanted to give it a try anyway. I’m glad I did.
I’ve often looked at the frame around the glass storm door, wondering how it would look painted to match the front door paint. Now I know.
I taped off all the areas I didn’t want to paint accidentally. I’m a very messy painter. Painter’s tape has saved me many, many times. The shelf on the step ladder was a great place to set my paint and work tools.
I decided to paint the metal door handle and the doorbell the same blue color. I didn’t know if the paint would stick to them either, but I might as well try it. I also primed this door.
You can never go wrong when starting a paint project with a coat of primer. I painted the weather stripping, metal door casing, and the inside casing between the storm door and front door blue.
I used a high-quality synthetic paint brush. They are always best for latex paint.
The only thing I didn’t paint was the inside frame of the storm door. I should have painted it too, but hey, I don’t see the backside of the storm door when looking at it from outside. The painted metal storm door looks great. Why didn’t I think of painting it sooner?
Once both doors were painted blue, the white vintage iron posts stood out. The JTS painted the house shutters brown, and I painted the iron porch posts. We also replaced our old, sad, and rusty exterior light fixtures on either side of the door. It’s really easy to change light fixtures. I can even do it myself.
The exterior is shaping up. We need to do something about the landscaping. The shrubs are original to the house, which was built in 1965. We’ve lost a tree or two to storms, and luckily, they didn’t fall on the house.
I love the brown shutters and blue door much better than the white shutters, red door, and shiny hardware. What do you think of the makeover? I can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of the front of the house before painting the door and shutters.
The door was painted in 2012 and this is how it looks in 2024…
No chipping, no scratches, and no noticeable fading. I’m getting ready to paint it again…..after we finish the interior of the house and this Fall when the weather is cooler. I just need to decide on a color.
The front door turned out so well we painted the metal door in our carport. See that project here….How To Paint Exterior Metal Doors To Last
We’ve been painting the interior of our house, and using a paint sprayer to paint the closet doors is so easy!!….. video below….
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How To Paint Shutter Doors
Click here to learn How To Paint Outdoor House Shutters….the painless way.
My friend Denise from Salvaged Inspirations recently painted her storm door and it is a beauty. She used two products I’ve never tried before, Bonding Primer and Masking Liquid. I definitely need to try those. Take a look at her front door here…. How To Paint A Storm Door by Salvaged Inspirations.
As always, thanks for being here, and have a great day, Kathy
